In conventional instrument panel designs, a glovebox door alternately covers and uncovers an opening through an instrument panel, in which can be a fixed bin or a pivoting bin, to provide a storage space for various items. A striker bar for latching the glovebox door in a closed position is typically fixed to the instrument panel, and a latch mechanism is attached to an instrument panel facing surface of the door. A piano type hinge typically connects the door to the instrument panel, each half of the hinge having separate connections. Since the glovebox door, and the latch mechanism affixed thereto, are fixed to the instrument panel independently from the striker bar and from each other, there is a considerable amount of variation in the relative positions of the latch and the striker bar. This variation directly affects the effort required to open or close the glovebox door. Adjustments to the striker bar are then required to control the latch opening and closing efforts. These adjustments, in turn, affect glovebox fit and finish to the instrument panel. In short, conventional glovebox designs couple latch efforts with glovebox door fit and finish so that corrective adjustments for efforts affect fit and finish, and vice versa.
Complicating the goal of balancing proper latch efforts with fit and finish is that appropriate adjustments are usually conducted on-line during vehicle assembly. It is difficult to control fit and finish in this environment because of the assembly process. This process usually involves attaching a steel support to the crosscar beam and then attaching the striker to a substrate portion of the support.. One half of a hinge is attached to the substrate, and the other half is attached to the glovebox door. Due to the stack up and between the different components, the fit and finish of the glovebox door with the instrument panel outer surface is hard to control. This also creates the previously described latch and striker effort issues. A squeak and rattle problem also exists due to the difficulty in controlling mating between the instrument panel and portions of the glovebox.
Thus, a glovebox assembly is needed which provides a latch with consistent, easily operable latch effort, which assists in controlling the fit and finish of the instrument panel, and which alleviates squeak and rattle problems.